Congratulation to winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2016

The International Carbohydrate Organization (ICO) warmly congratulates the 2016 Nobel Laureates in Chemistry for their achievements in opening-up a new direction in chemistry by developing new methods for the design and construction of the tiniest possible machines: molecular machines. The ICO especially notes the important contributions of Professor Sir J. F. Stoddart, Northwestern University, Illinois, USA to the field of carbohydrate chemistry. In his early career at the University of Edinburgh, UK, and at Queen’s University, Ontario, Canada Prof Stoddart pioneered new concepts and reactions in Carbohydrate Chemistry. His seminal work on the stereochemistry and topology of carbohydrates is recognized by the ‘Stoddart plot’, a graph showing connectivity of sugar ring conformations. His sustained interest in carbohydrates has more recently led to new carbohydrate-based materials with the ability to sequester gases and extract gold, a theme that formed the basis of his plenary lecture in the 27th International Carbohydrate Symposium (Bangalore, India), January 2014.